More than half of Des Moines area workers would leave their jobs for a pay increase at another employer, according to a new study conducted by staffing firm Robert Half.

The company surveyed more than 2,800 workers in 28 major U.S. cities. It found that 54 percent of workers in Des Moines would quit for more money — the highest rate of any city studied.

On the whole, workers identified a pay hike as the most likely reason they would leave their current jobs. Other reasons cited included a quest to work somewhere with a higher purpose or stronger mission; not feeling appreciated; and being bored or unchallenged by work.

"Employees want to be compensated fairly and feel challenged and fulfilled in their jobs," Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, said in a news release. "If higher pay is the primary reason for considering another position, professionals should first see if there is an opportunity to discuss a wage increase in their current role. Employers may be open to negotiation if it means keeping a good worker."

The study comes as employers in Iowa and across the country struggle to hire and retain workers in a variety of positions amid a labor crunch. Iowa's unemployment rate sunk to 2.7 percent in May — the lowest rate in more than a decade.

Britton said workers should think carefully about how they leave, whether it's related to salary or not. In a separate survey of more than 300 human resources managers, leaders overwhelmingly said the way a worker quits can affect their future employment.

"When an employee decides to leave a company, exiting on good terms is a must," Britton said in the news release. "You never know when you might encounter a former colleague later in your career."

Across all 28 cities studied, women were more likely to leave for more money: 47 percent of women said they would resign if offered more money elsewhere, compared with 40 percent of men.